Secret Service phone security lapses put US officials at risk, watchdog says

The DHS Inspector General found that the Secret Service routinely relied on personal phones for official duties—especially during foreign protective assignments—because government-issued devices lacked needed messaging apps, reliable VPN connectivity, and mobile threat defense. Personal devices were unmanaged and often retained sensitive data after travel, creating opportunities for interception and exposure of operational details, whereabouts, photos, and contacts. The agency concurred with recommendations to improve device provisioning, training, policy communication, app testing, and wiping procedures.